----------- General notes on the Z-MSV series ------------
This kit is one of the products known as Z-MSV — a re-release of One Year War MSV mobile suits that appeared in Z Gundam, repackaged under the Z Gundam lineup. The runner layout is 100% identical to the original MSV kits; the only change is the molded colors, which were swapped out for Z Gundam versions. So yeah, it's essentially a color variant kit, though some of them did get updated wet decals as well.
There are seven Z-MSV kits in total. They were only released during the original anime broadcast run, probably because the quality gap compared to other Z Gundam 1/144 kits was pretty noticeable. They were later re-released as復刻 editions to commemorate the 2006 Z Gundam theatrical films. Since these kits were originally developed back in the First Gundam era, the overall quality inevitably falls short of the Z Gundam 1/144 kits that came standard with polycaps.
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This particular kit is the underwater Hi-Zack from that lineup. Since it's essentially just a color-change version of the original MSV kit, please refer to the MSV Underwater Zaku reviewfor a detailed kit breakdown. The molded color has been changed from green to blue — it actually feels more fitting for an underwater unit with this new color scheme.
One interesting thing about this kit is that when it was released as a Z-MSV, the name was changed from Zaku to Hi-Zack. Honestly, the design is completely identical — it's just that Zakus from the Z Gundam era are called Hi-Zacks, so the name quietly got swapped along the way.
Just like the previous Zaku Reconnaissance Type and GM Cannon kits, this one also includes Titans-insignia wet decals that can be optionally applied to the shoulders and forearms, which gives it a bit of differentiation from the original MSV. In my case though, I accidentally ruined the large Titans decal while trying to apply it to the shoulder, so I just went ahead and used the original version decals instead. (T_T)
Anyway, with its more fitting blue color scheme for an underwater unit plus the Titans markings on top of that, this is one of those Z-MSV kits that I'd say offers a bit more value than the original MSV release. :-)
[ Updated at 2017.3.7 ]
AIThis page was translated by Claude Sonnet.
